Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-02-03

the doorway tall. finely formed
man. who introduced himself as L. j.
Swazee. OF course, we all rose. but
Nellie was little slow about doing so,
and Matte swept past her with pecu-
liar movement that threw her arm out
OF position. Was it accidental? !
thought Matte was trying to suppress
a giggle as she moved further forward
and offered her hand to Mr.. Swazee,
with some gushing remarks about her
great happiness at having met him. ]
can not tell how got through the pre-
sentatiOn, in which Miss Griller. being
eldest, acted as mistress of ceremonies,
any further than Matte Merlin remem-
bered for me. She informed me after
ward that l had behaved very badly,
that / had been as shy as rabbit, and
cold as a raw potato. Ionly know that
the man of magnificent presence and
courtly manner who stood before me
exercised upon me SO strange an influ-
ence that my first impulse was to es-
cape from the room, my next to fall
upon my knees. All this sounds very
absurd, am sure. but l relate facts.
After the opening of school we found
ourselves liable to receive calls from
the principal at any moment during
the sessions. Miss Griller complained
to me that he was sure to drop in when
she had bad recitation in progress,
and that he was meddlesome rat, al
ways wanting to lend her his books.
and looking displeascd if she failed to
read them and adopt their new-fangled
notions.
We held weekly "teachers' meetings"
at which we were all expected to be
present, and at each of which one
model lesson was given. These We're
not begun until the second week, and
as was the last called upon to give
one. my turn did not come until the
sixth week Of school. 1 had prepared
myself thoroughly and drilled my class
with great care, but, as my pupils
ranged before me, passing up the worn
stairs and through the long hall, my
heart almost failed. What could ac-
complish with his eye upon me? Never
yet bad he entered my room but 1 had
grown confused and committed out
rageous blunders; would the jealous
eyes Of the other teachers, who did not
wish to be outdone, lessen my embar-
rassn1ent or add to it?
Near the upper end of the hall Matte
Merlin Joined me, and, with q nudge
and a giggle. whispered:
won't You thank your stars, Ray,
when it's over? o my! you'll make a
failure. I'm sure! We are all geese be-
fore his High Mightiness, Lord Swazee,
and you are worse than any of us. 1
never saw you put out until he came,
and now you are the sun-dial and he
is the sun. We can always tell when
the sun shines on the dial by the color
of its face"
Should make good her words and
thus put the keen sting of truth in her
coarse taunt? l asked myself. No! l
would put myself down! would for
get Mr.. Swazee and the other teachers.
would remember my work alone, and
enter upon it with my old-time natural
enthusiasm. As l walked into the
school-room and paced slowly up the
aisle toward its front, l was nerving
myself. summoning all the strength and
courage of my nature to my aid. And
l did not fail. My success was SO
marked that it surprised me. If ever
l yas brilliant in my life was brilliant
OH that October afternoon, with its
waning sunlight slanting through the
hi gh windows. 1t is mistake to think
the work of IA teacher is all dull routine,
leaving no margin for original genius
ard personal power. Emily Knox told
me afterward that 1 had electrified
them all, but the others were stiffly
silent.
Once during the passage of the reci-
tation l had caught peculiar look in
the eye of Mr.. Swazee. l had not
dared to lift my eyes to his face again
until its close, when l expected some
little word of cOmmendation, but he
withheld my just praise from me and
was afterward, if possible, more cold
toward me than before. So far as was
allie to Judge from his actions he had
taken a dislike to me at our introduce
tory meeting, and it had strengthened
as the long weeks passed. Toward the
other teachers his manner was kind
and friendly-tO Nellie Melville some
thing more than friendly, l thought
for me. alone, there was reserve and
GOODNESS. almost iciness.
After that FIRST model lesson given by
me Mr.. Swazee did not visit my de-
partment for months. Even the exam
nations conducted by him in all other
grades were left to me in mine. We
met in the halls and bowed each other
a reserved good morning. We met at
teachers meetings and wasted no
words upon each other. If changes in
school routines demanded communica-
tons between us all was done by means
of curt notes saying the necessary
words. no more. And yet loved Mr..